Linking policy-making and the New Urban Agenda with recent agreements on climate change and disaster risk reduction offers a strategy for financing the critically needed investments in today’s fast-growing intermediate cities.

On Friday, a record 175 states signed a new global, 15-year accord to work to limit global warming. But it’s not clear if their action will come quickly enough to stave off climate change’s worst effects.

In December in Paris, mayors demonstrated they are key players in the response to climate change. Habitat III can now strengthen global momentum and respond to the mayoral call to put climate-change mitigation and adaptation atop the urban agenda.

2015 ushered in watershed new development and climate frameworks. Urban advocates are hoping that 2016, and the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, will provide a clear roadmap for action on these agreements.